Lubricating apparatus



JnelS, 1937. F. s. BARKs l LUBRIGATING APPARATUS Filed Aug.`1,' 1955 FIGZ 2 sheets-sheet 1 vJune 15,1937. F. s. BARKS 2,083,590

i .LUBRICATING APPARATUS I *Filed Aug. 1, 1935 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGA. j

Plas.

Patented June 15, 1937 vUNITED STATES LUBRICATING APPARATUS Frank S.Barks, St. Louis, Mo., assigner to Lincoln Engineering Company, St.Louis, Mo., a corpo- 4 ration of 'Missouri Application August 1, 1935,Serial No. 34,142

2 Claims.

This invention relates to lubricating apparatus, and with regard tocertain more specific features, to apparatus for refilling grease gunsand the like from an original lubricant container.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision ofa simple means for effecting filling of grease guns from originalcontainers, simply by* making a quickdetachable but positive connectionand effecting a uni-directional pull: the provision of apparatus of thisclass requiring less effort than heretofore on the part of the operator;the provision of apparatus of this class which increasesthe certaintyand rate at which a rell may be accomplished; and the provision vofapparatus of this class which is simple in operation and economical tomanufacture and market. Other objects will be in part obvious and Iinpart pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the elements and combinations ofelements, features of construction, and arrangementsk of parts whichwill be exemplied in the structures hereinafter described, and the scopeof the application of which will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which are illustrated two of variouspossible embodiments of the inventio-ng,

Fig. 1 is a vertical section illustrating a filling event for oneembodiment of the invention;

` Fig. 2 is a section illustrating the gun of Fig. l

cant cylinder containinga pressure piston, oper-.

ated to effect a suction for filling. In some of these the cylinder isdivided by the follower piston into two compartments, one of whichconstitutes the lubricant supply compartment and the other a.compartment in which other than manual pressure is applied to thefollower. These guns ordinarily have a head carrying an outlet incommunication with the lubricant supply compartment, and exteriorlycontrolled means for causing lubricant to be ejected from said outlet.The outlet head is ordinarily removable, the same having aquick-detachable connection with the cylinder, such as a threadedconnection, a

bayonet connection or the like. After a charge of (c1. ce1- 1475)lubricant has been exhausted, the follower is usually in a positionadjacent the outlet in the cylinder, and the problem arises of refillingthe cylinder by drawing back the follower after the outlet head has beenremoved. 5 Ithas been suggested to place in the original container afollower having a hole therein, over which is positioned the guncylinder. The gun cylinder is then to be pressed, and the pressure thustransmitted tothe lubricant extrudes the lubricant from the opening,into the gun cylinder, at the same time pushing back the then-freelpressure piston. The disadvantage of vthis construction is theinability to angle the gun cylinder on the follower without effectingleakage to the up- 15 hence said leakage is common in this class of aplparatus.

In United States Butler -Patent 1,981,495, dated November 20, 1934,there is suggested the use of a follower on the lubricant in an originalcontainer, wherein a resilient outlet is provided through said follower,adapted to be contacted by the cylinder of the grease gun. Thedifficulty with a 5 construction of this class is that although itpermits angling, the cylinder of the gun to be filled must be pressedagainst the follower at the same time that the follower in the gun iswithdrawn to draw in a charge. While in the Butler patent a seal iseffected and a direct pull will cause filling, nevertheless, at least aninitial diverse push and pull combination is necessary to eifect aninitial seal. The necessary push is on the cylinder and the necessarypull on the piston. Even after the 35 seal is effected, there is thedanger that an imperfect contact will again break it, thereby againrequiring, or continuously requiring, a downward push on the guncylinder while the control handle thereof is pulled in the oppositedirection. 40

V Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, there is shown at numeral Ia commercial container forlubricant from which grease guns of theclassdescribed are to be filled or re-lled. The lubricant carried by thecontainer I is ordi- 45 -narily of a viscous nature which ows onlysluggishly except when forced under pressure.

At numeral. 3 is shown the cylinder of one type of gun, the head 2having been removed from the threaded outlet 5 thereof (See also Fig.2). The 50 cylinder also carries a rearward head 1, slidably supportinga retractor 9. The retractor 9 has a pin I3 for contacting a followerpiston I5 in said cylinder 3.

As shown in Fig. 2, the follower piston .I5 is 55 normally pushed by aspring I9 against the lubricant in chamber I0. Under such conditions thespring I9 reacts against a removable nut I1.

Suitable pumping mechanism (not shown) in the head 2 effects ejection oflubricant under its pressure prir'ne and the retractor is at this timepushed into the cylinder 3 where it is out of the Way. At this time thepin I3 is out of engagement with a bayonet notch piece 4 associated withthe follower piston I5. 'I'he pin I3 may be placed in the notch piece 4for manually driving the follower piston I5 toward the open end ofcylinder 3, if and when this operation becomes necessary, as in ejectingresidual lubricant. As l5 the retractor 9 is pushed into cylinder 3, the

power spring I9 is compressed against the follower piston I5 and so heldby screwing bearing nut I1 to the threads 2| (Fig. 2). During retractionnut I1 is loose (Fig. l).

At numeral 23 is shown a relatively loose follower which is placed uponthe lubricant in the container I, after opening the latter. It has acentral opening 25 threaded as shown to cooperate with threads 5 at thelower end of the cylinder 3 25 to provide a quick-detachable connection.

To load a grease gun such as shown in Fig. 1, the cylinder 3 is threadedinto the threaded opening 25. The threads are only class examples of anyquick-detachable connection which may be used such as bayonetconnections and the like. The criterion of the connection is that it bepositive and not one' requiring a manual push (against a pull) to fastenit, as in the case of said Butler Patent 1,981,495. Under theseconditions, the follower piston I5 is at the lower end of the cylinder 3and against the stop I3 (Fig. 1).

By unscrewing the nut I1, the retractor 9 may be withdrawn by means ofthe handle 6, the spring I9 being drawn outwardly through the openingleft by unscrewing the nut I1. After screwing the cylinder 3 to thefollower 23, only a pull is needed on the handle 6, and no push isrequired on the cylinder 3. The reaction of the weight of the containerI with its charge causes a vacuum in the cylinder 3 below its piston I5.The atmospheric pressure applied to the lubricant by way of the follower23 and container I forces lubricant into the cylinder 3 after the pistonI5. At the same time the follower 23 sinks relatively to the container Ias the level of the lubricant in the container I is depressed. If, inorder to produce an indrawing vacuum, the pull necessary is greater thanthe weight of the loaded depending apparatus, then the container I willbe lifted, but this will not interfere with continued lling action. Thecontainer I under such conditions will merely advance upward relativelyto the follower 23 to continue to force the charge into the cylinder 3.Thus the one-way pull is effective under 60 all commercial conditions. Y

After the follower piston I5 has been drawn up against a stop 21, thecylinder 3 may be unscrewed from the follower 23. The head 2 is thenapplied at the threads 5 and the nut I1 is fastened. The spring I9 is atthis time compressed to apply pressure to the piston I5 and hence to thelubricant in the chamber I 0.

In Fig. 3 is shown a modified form of grease gun in which like numeralsdesignate like parts. In this modication, the gun 3 has a plungerextension 29 on the rod 9 and the rearward head 1 is airtight. The head1 is provided with an air inlet check valve 3I and a relief valve 33. Onthe rearward portion of the rod 9, where it. passes through the head 1,is provided a. piston 31 which is subjected to air pressure carried inthe chamber 39 and, slides in a cylinder 8. Superatmospheric airpressure is carried in the chamber 39 behind the follower piston I5, thepressure being introduced through said check valve inlet 3|. Thelubricant supply chamber I0 is again ahead of the follower piston I5.Manual pressure on the handle 6 effects a pumping stroke of plunger 29in head I2 and the return stroke is effected by air pressure on piston31 when the push on handle 6 is reduced.

For this form of grease gun, the threaded outlet 25 in the follower 23is provided with an adapter extension 4I which is threaded to receivethe threaded end 5 of the cylinder 3, the adapter being long enough toaccommodate the plunger extension 29 on the rod 9. It will be seen thatwithout the adapter 4I and in the presence of the extension 29, it wouldbe impossible to empty the drum I completely, inasmuch as the follower23 could not come within a distance equal to the length of the extension29 from the bottom of the container I. The adapter positions the plungerextension 29 above the lower surface of the follower 23.

The operation of the modified form is similar to that of the form firstdescribed. The nut I1 is unscrewed, thereby permitting withdrawal of therod 9 through the head 1, the pin I3 contacting the follower piston I5and causing its retracttion and the suction of a charge into thecylinder 3.

It will be appreciated that there should be no pressure behind thefollower I5 under conditions of removal of the head from the threads 5,the same being released through valve 33.

From the above, the advantages of the invention will be clear. The quickdetachable connection assures a rigid seal, requiring only a pull forfilling and preventing the undesirable angling between the gun andfollower 23. Instead of offsetting the undesirable features of saidangling I prevent the angling.

It should be understood that the adapter 4I shown in Fig. 3 need not beused between the gun and the follower until the bottom of the containerI is approached. To this end, the threads at the upper end of thefollower 4I and those in the outlet 25 are of the same size so that thecylinder 3 is interchangeably threadable on the `adapter 4I and in theoutlet 25.

It is also to be understood in both forms of the invention that thetrapping of a charge of air in the outlet 25 may be readily avoided byslightly pressing down the follower when it is initially placed and thatthe guns have a residual charge between their followers I5 andthe endsof the cylinders 3 after entering. Thus the end surface of the residualcharge and the end surface of the lubricant in the outlet 25 (or adapter4I) meet, upon connection of cylinder and follower or adapter, to form asolid lubricant mass with the supply in the container I. This avoidstrapping any deleterious mass of air.

In View' of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results attained,

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructionswithout departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended thatall matter contained in the above description or shown in theaccompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

aossoo I claim! 1. In combination, a container having lubri canttherein. a follower slidably fitting within the container and adapted torest upon `the lubricant,

said follower having an opening therethrough, a lubricant gun comprisinga cylinder having a head end adapted to be opened, a piston therein.said piston being adapted to assume a position adjacent the head endwhen said end is opened.

10 means associated with the piston and extending from the' cylinderwhen' open and an adapter having a quick-detachableV connection withsaid follower at said opening and with the end of said cylinder, saidadapter being of a length to permit 15 the follower ultimately to bepositioned adjacent the bottom of the container whereby substantiallyall lubricant may ultimately be exhausted from the container, saidfollower also accommodating at said quick-detachable connection,

f so iubricanz guns of the dass described without extensions.

` 2. In combination, a container having lubricant therein. a followerslidably fitting 'within the container and adapted to rest upon thelubricant. said follower having an opening therethrough. a lubricant.gun comprising a cylinder having a head end adapted to be opened. anextension in the gun extending from the cylinder when said head end isopened. and an adapter having'a quick-detachable connection with saidfollower at the opening therein and with the end of said cylinder whenopened. said adapter being of a length to permit the follower ultimatelyto be positioned adjacent the bottom ofthe container wherebysubstantially all lubricant may. ultimately be exhausted from thecontainer, said -follower also accommodating at said quick-detachableconnection lubricant guns of the class described but without extensions.

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